Safety device for automobiles



E. L. HELD AND F. B. GRABILL.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1920.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Elwuemto'z Ernest L. Fzeld. Funk B. Grablll.

E. L. FIELD AND F. B. GRABHQL SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24,1920.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

V 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- awwmtoz Ernest Ljield. -Fan/1B. Grab/1'22.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST L. FIELD AND FRANK B. GRABILL, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, .1921.

lipplicationfiled May 24, 1920. Serial No. 383,942.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST L. Finn!) and FRANK B. G-RABILL, citlzens of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety improvements in safety devices for automobiles, the principal object being to provide-a device to be installed on and carried in front of an automobile which will pick up without in jury any pedestrian attempting to pass in front of the car too close to the same and who would otherwise be seriously hurt and perhaps killed.

Another object is to provide suitable adjustment means forthe device to enable it to be moved to different positions and to be tipped up from the ground when it engages a person or other obstacle, so that the person will beraised bodily from the ground and be carried along with the vehicle without inur 3 The above objects are accomplished by means of the structure hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device installed on an automobile.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the same in nonoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. at is a horizontal section of one side of the same.

Fig. 5 is a rear sectional view through one of the housings.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on a line 6*6 of Fig. 4-.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a pair of suitably shaped and hollow frame arms, on the outer ends of which are pivoted housings 2, on a shaft 3, the arms being fixed to the frame 4c of the automobile. Each housing has an offset pair of cylindrical and curved guide sleeves 5, in which slide similarly curved rods 6 and 7, the outer rods 6 projecting below the housing and being there connected by a cross shaft 8 on the outer ends of which are rollers 9 adapted to bear on the ground when the rods are lowered. The inner bars 7 project above the top of the housing and are connected by a bar 10.

Cross wires 11 extend between corresponding rods '6 and 7 at spaced intervals to form a net, the sleeves 5 being slotted 011 their inner faces as at 5 to admit of the passage of the wires.

An endless cable 12 suitably mounted in the car and moved by means of a hand wheel 13 positioned within reach of the driver, operates pulleys 14 in the arms 1. About the pulley pass endless cables 15 which are connected to straps 15' on the ends of the rods 6 and 7 concealed within the housing 2 in such a manner that by moving said cables one way or the other by means of the hand wheel, the rods 6 and 7 may be moved oppositely relative to each other and extend ed or telescoped in the housing depending on whether it is desired to place the device in operative position, or to have it raised from the ground and inoperative.

On the pivotal shaft 3' of the housing is a ratchet wheel 16 engaged by a pawl 17. The wheel and pawl are so set that when a person falls into the net structure, in which case the majority of his Weight will be above the shaft, the entire structure will tip about said shaft, so as to raise the lower end from the ground, and hold it in such position to carry the person out of harms way until the car can be stopped. The device may then be replaced in position by means of a finger actuated trigger 18 projecting from the housing and by means of which the pawl may be released.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A safety device for automobiles comprising a pair of rigid arms fixed to the frame of the car and projecting forwardly therefrom, housings pivoted to the outer ends of the arms, and a net structure slidably mounted in the housings whose upper and lower ends are adapted to be positioned at varying distances from the ground and from each other.

2. A safety device for automobiles comprising a pair of rigid arms fixed to the frame of the car and projecting forwardly therefrom, housings pivoted to the outer ends of the arms, and a net structure slidably mounted in the housings, such structure comprising a pair of independent frames slidable in the housings and having wires stretched therebetween and adapted to be moved in opposite directions whereby they may be extended or telescoped in the housings.

3. A safety device for automobiles comprising a pair of rigid arms fixed to the frame of the car and projecting forwardly therefrom, housings pivoted to the outer ends of the arms, and a net structure slidably mounted in the housings, such structure comprising a pair of independent frames slidable in the housings and having Wires stretched therebetween, and means for simultaneously moving the frames in opposite directions.

4. A safety device for automobiles comprising a pair of rigid arms fixed to the frame of the car and projecting forwardly therefrom, housings pivoted to the outer ends of the arms, and a net structure slidably mounted in the housings, such structure comprising a pair of independent frames slidable in the housings and having Wires stretched therebetween, and means actuated by the driver of the car from his seat Whereby the net frames may be simultaneously moved in opposed directions.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

ERNEST L. FIELD. FRANK B. GRABILL. 

